Influence of Diverse Culture on Change - Term Paper Example

Influence of Diverse Culture on Change Cultural diversity has far and wide-ranging impacts on change in various contexts. Cultural diversity can affect strategic management, hence affecting organisational change. It also affects societal change because it enhances or impedes different aspects of society, such as communication and conduct. Culture is a composite concept that begins with an individual. The personal values and beliefs one holds are critical components of culture. Values are spread from one person to another in various ways, most commonly through power and influence. Power and influence allow individuals to impose their personal values on others, and when it happens on a large scale it can lead to the development of a new culture. It is important to critically discuss how cultural change affects change in organizations, by providing detailed discussions and relevant literature to support arguments. It is also vital to highlight, to various entities, the importance of understanding change in order to improve organizational management. Influence of Diverse Culture on Change Introduction There are many changes that occur within organizations, changes that define current and future operations and their impact on company goals and objectives. Technological firms often undergo many changes because of the nature of their products and services. Since technology is a highly dynamic concept, it is vital to keep up with it to guarantee success. An example of a change in a technological organization is systems overhaul, which requires leadership and consensus (Benn and Dunphy, 2014). Systems are the core of technological and even non-technological organizations, and their status determines the success of current and future operations. Currently, most technological companies are developing ways of cultivating a more appealing image that allows them to connect with their customers in ways that improve their lives (Mobley, Wang, and Li, 2012). Consequently, they focus on employees with different cultural attributes in order to cultivate a more socially relevant image. Discussion Culture and leadership are closely related. In fact, they are so closely related that they can be used interchangeably in some contexts. Some cultures have a gender biased outlook of leadership that affects the way the individuals belonging to those cultures perceive and practice leadership. In addition, some cultures hold that leadership comes with status; that any person with a senior position anywhere is automatically a leader (Wagoner, Oldmeadow, and Jensen, 2012). However wrong this may be, it affects leadership. Individuals often practice what they believe in, and it is generally defined by the beliefs and values instilled in them by their communities. Away from cultural backgrounds, values acquired through personal experiences also have a significant impact on leadership (Jansson, 2013). Managers, who have worked in many culturally diverse organizations, have a more holistic approach to leadership than those with a “local” mindset. It is important to note that values are what make up culture. A collection of values instilled in or acquired through experience is practiced and transferred to other people, creating a culture. This is how organisational culture comes about. In any organization, there are specific ways in which things are done, and deviating from these ways is often seen as a violation of the ethos of an organization (Schein, 2010). Organizations have “DNAs” that include leadership. For instance, some organizations prefer horizontal communication while others prefer vertical or top-down communication. These preferences are part of organisational culture, and they are often set by individuals who favor a certain leadership style. Some managers like to communicate to their juniors and let messages spread from the highest ranked to the junior most employees in the organization (Nesterkin, 2013). On the other hand, others prefer communication to be uniform and level so that all employees are on the same communication wavelength. It is not often surprising to find the founders of organizations setting personal precedents based on their cultures that evolve to become the identity of companies. For instance, Steve Jobs, the late Apple co-founder and CEO, “personalized” all communication from the company because he believed that an organization should express its identity through one individual (the CEO). He also assumed the role of rubber stamping this belief on Apple (Chimusoro, 2012). His values pushed him to lead the company in a specific way, and it became Apple’s modus operandi. He personally unveiled all products and engaged the media in QandA sessions on the company. This developed into a culture that has set Apple apart from its rivals and non-rivals: the company is the CEO. Since his demise, his successor (Tim Cook) has continued this culture by presiding over all functions conducted by the company and being the only Apple employee communicating with the press on a one-on-one basis (Muller, 2013). Leaders adopt and practice many aspects of their culture. Some people believe that leadership should be more passive than active while others hold opposite views. Others believe that leadership should be participative (people should be involved as much as possible), while others hold that leaders should be all-powerful people who should enjoy all the exclusivity and separation that their positions accord them (Jackson, Meyer, and Wang, 2013). These beliefs stem from their cultures or personal values. A manager may not be a participative leader but upon joining an organization, whose culture is defined by participative leadership, will be forced to change his ways to fit the prevailing culture and promote it. If an individual grew up believing that honesty, efficiency and pragmatism are the key success factors, they are likely to want their businesses to embody these values. In addition, being the leader of the organization, they will want all employees to respect and uphold these principles, and this will become the culture of the organization. Members of the public can identify with the firm based on these values, and the employees can promote the company’s image using them (Roe, 2014). The leaders of the organization, having adopted and believed in the founder’s culture, will implement it to create labels like “corruption free zone.” However, few people outside the company can realize that this culture is merely the result, embodiment and manifestation of a personal approach to leadership. Analysis Culture has a major influence on change management. Some cultures are very conservative and negative towards change, and this is seen in employees who belong to those cultures. Some organisational cultures are also built on a “do-no-harm” approach that implements and maintains a powerful status quo that inhibits change. As a result, culture, whether organisational or individual, affects change and change management to a great extent. Some employees, being from conservative backgrounds and fearing change, tend to resist change simply because of the uncertainty it creates (Sparrow, 2012). Having been raised to follow specific ways, they react negatively to anything outside their pre-set manner of thinking and acting. In some companies, there are often very minimal changes regarding management because they prefer status quo and want no “threats” to their positions. In such organizations, it is common to find employees who have stayed in one position for unusually long periods, and this is because the culture dictates so. “The way we work around here” defines organisational culture and how it impacts change. This notion is generally beneficial to firms during phases of relative stability. Ultimately, culture is regenerative; it functions in a manner that guarantees its own continuity (Bolman and Deal, 2013). Human beings are naturally resistant to change because of a tendency to set trends and get into comfort zones that they are often very reluctant to part with. Culture is one of the trends and comfort zones human beings create to give meaning to their existence. Change, on the other hand, is an interjection of employee’s expectations. This implies that change is intrusive. The greater the extent of change (the more interjection of “the way things are done”) the more interruptive it is to set rules and conventions (Janicijevic, 2012). Since culture is regenerative, the more a change hinders a culture, the higher the likelihood of culture working to prevent it. For example, it is hard for a new CEO to come into a company and implement wholesale changes across the board. No matter how flexible and dynamic the organization may be, large-scale changes will not be received positively. Some people will feel insecure about their jobs while others will feel that their authority and the ‘identity” of the company is being undermined. This will create numerous obstacles to whoever is sponsoring change (Steers, Sanchez-Runde, and Nardon, 2012). Some leaders and organizations believe that the investment required to implement change is too high. For other organizations, the change management process is seen as too complicated. There are organizations that think they can escape change introduction and implementation until the “real” mindset of change has been introduced (Gostick and Elton, 2012). However, these are just the common excuses used by organizations and leaders whose culture is resistant to change. If such leaders and introduce major changes, their cultures are likely to erode the changes and nullify or dilute their commitments. Conclusion Culture is hugely significant to change, not just in organizations but even on a personal level. Depending on circumstances, culture can inhibit or promote change, but most leaders and organizations do not fully comprehend this. It is difficult to disregard concepts that have been nurtured and practiced for centuries just to embrace change (Walliser, 2013). This is the reason health initiatives like vaccination have failed in some parts of the world because some cultures do not recognize such practices. Besides the impact of change, it is important for individuals and organizations to understand the change management process and how to implement it. Effective change management is crucial to preventing the collapse of change processes (Goodman and Dingli, 2013). Effective change management involves communicating changes to the targeted people and convincing them of the necessity of undergoing change. References Benn, S., & Dunphy, D. (2014). Organizational change for corporate sustainability (3rd Ed.). Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. Bolman, L., & Deal, T. (2013). 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